Lucy's Corner

Hi, my name is Lucy and I am a 23-month-old Landseer Newfoundland with a Therapy Dog International license. About 4 weeks ago I took over this blog for my big brother who is waiting on Heaven's Rainbow Bridge for Mommy, Daddy and me. If you go to the TDI web-site you can see his picture. I miss Einstein so much. Mommy and Daddy have tried to take the loneliness away from me since Einstein passed away and have given me extra love and attention, but he was such a great big brother.

Daddy is so kind to me and misses Einstein a lot. Daddy cooks special dinners for me: turkey, beef, chicken livers and sometimes mac and cheese (Daddy's doggy recipe). Daddy touches my paw at night like Einstein used to do when we slept. At night before we went to bed Einstein used to walk me out to go potty, and when I was done I would hold Einstein's short lead and escort him back. Now Daddy walks me out when I potty at night (usually at 2:30 am) and he carries Einstein's short lead. When I am done I take the lead in my mouth and I walk him back to the house so he doesn't get lost. Mommy and Daddy have been very sad since Einstein passed away and so have I.

Daddy had a talk with me and we decided that I needed to continue with Einstein's work as a therapy dog. You see, Mommy and Daddy are both my Therapy Team and they share walking me and waiting while I greet my new friends. Einstein had awfully big paws for me to fill. Everyone loved Einstein and he understood Daddy's hand signals. I am young and get confused. Today Daddy signed me to Stay! Then he walked away. I thought he signed me to go play and have a good time. I will have to train Daddy a little harder so he will understand the signs.

So Mommy, Daddy and I are back doing TDI work and I am doing a fine job, if I do say so myself. Last week my friends and I represented TDI Chapter 304 at the Lynd's Fruit Farm Festival. That was so much fun. Daddy looked a little wet after the rain, but he pulled it together for the photo and I worked hard to make him look good. Mommy stayed with the camera and tried to keep us focused.

This is a photo of Daddy and me with some of my Chapter friends. There are some good looking furry guys and girls in this group.

Lynd's Fruit Farm had the neatest ride, a train for dogs to ride. Hey, Lynd, thank you for the neat train, but I had a problem. My body did not fit into one of those train cars.

Please note that that small, good looking Cavalier King Charles fit in the train just fine. I approached the train, looked in at the seat, looked at Daddy, looked at the seat, then looked at my butt and decided I'd better just sit beside the train. One size does not fit all in this case.

Today I got to go to Scioto Ridge United Methodist Church and hang out with my good friend Alex. Alex is this neat human friend of mine and he wanted to introduce me to Charley, their Youth Director, and my new two human girlfriends, Jill and Emma. We kicked back and chilled out reading our phones. Actually, I fell asleep and started to snore.

My new girlfriends (aren't they pretty?) have long hair, so I told Daddy I want to have them over so we can do each other's hair and watch doggie videos on YouTube. I used to watch cat videos, but Daddy got mad when I barked every time I saw a cat. HELLO. I AM A DOG!

Well my next adventure is coming up September 7, 8 and 9. On those days you can catch me at the Columbus Expo Center at the Ohio State Fairgrounds Dispatch Fall Home and Garden Show. My first show, and I am so excited to say hi to all my new human friends. Daddy said there are going to be lots and lots of big and little humans there. I love little humans. Daddy said we will be in the Autmow Booth by the front doors, so please come by and say hi to me.

Read-to-a-dog program at Sunbury Community Library

This was so much fun for Lucy and me. For 6 weeks we had little human people read to us and give us hugs and petting. Everyone in Sunbury Community Library was so nice to us. Thank you.

Fish-with-a-Cop event sponsored by the Delaware Police Department

This program was new this year and was so much fun for Lucy and me. There were over 100 kids ages 6 -13 taking part, and there were at least 100 adults present. Everyone was so nice and friendly. We got our photos taken many times, and we met lots of Daddy's friends and former co-workers. Thank you, Delaware Police Department for inviting us and showing us a good time.

To my surprise there were Delaware Police Officers and Firemen working together to make a great experience for all the kids that showed up. I kept looking at that water, but Mommy and Daddy kept a firm grip on our leads and would not let us go swimming. But I guess we were there for the kids after all.

Trinity United Methodist Church Vacation Bible School

Lucy and I had a great time at the church visiting all the children. All week the Vacation Bible School staff told the children there were to be special guests Friday, the last day of Bible School. The special guests, of course, were Lucy and me. The kids were so happy to meet us and, again, we were treated to lots of hugs and pets. We went from classroom to classroom saying"HI" to everyone and telling the children all about Newfoundlands and Therapy Dogs. Thank you, Trinity, for the great welcome and for all the love and hugs.

Thank you, Mommy and Daddy, for giving us such a great summer with all the little humans.

This is a photo of my sister Lucy (on the left) and me resting and getting ready for a special event with children. Please note that I am sitting back relaxing and looking cool while Lucy sits with an ornery look on her face. She is always looking for trouble and trying to drive Mommy crazy.

We may have worked hard entertaining all our new human friends, but it was really worth the time and effort. This is how we sleep between events. We call this the "Newfie Butterfly Effect."

What a week this has been for Mommy, Lucy and me. First, Mommy got her full credentials to be a volunteer therapy team at Chalmers P Wylie VA Clinic in Columbus, Ohio, with Lucy as the star. There are only five therapy teams at this location and there are so many humans who need our love. On Wednesday Mommy and Lucy appeared at the Clinic. Oh, what a diva. I swear when we are at the VA Lucy's little (we dare not say "big") butt wags back and forth. You work it girl!

Friday, Mommy's Book about me was published and is on Amazon.com for humans to buy. I know I am a special furry-cute-pup, but people are actually paying to read my story. That is so neat! Mommy says the second book could be out in several months, but I cannot tell time and I do not know if she is speaking in doggie time or human time. The next book is about Lucy and me and what we do as Therapy Dogs and the places we go to. Mommy said she writes the books so children will understand how important and special we are as Therapy Dogs. Our job is a really neat job. Make sure you pick up the first book and be looking for the second.

The book came to our house as a POOF copy. The book was small and the picture of Lucy did not look like her when daddy uses the hair blower. Am I confused? Oh, sorry. Daddy just told me it is a PROOF COPY not a POOF COPY. It was really funny when the PROOF COPY came in because I looked at it and saw me and Lucy and Nellie in it. I even saw my furry daddy, Two-Bob, but I cannot read. Now Miss Nellie was really smart. She could read. She was my big sister and she is with God in heaven. Lucy cannot read; she only eats books. Mommy said the book is for human "pups"; their breed is called children.

If you're a veteran, please come and see Lucy and me at the VA on Wednesdays. For the next six Thursdays Lucy and I will be appearing at the Sunbury Community Library. Lucy and I are doing the Read-to-a-Dog program for children, and we are so excited.

Daddy got a call from his police friend Big Jake and he said we have another appearance to do. Mark your calendars, little ones, for Saturday, July 7. Come and join Lucy and me with a lot of nice humans. It will be Fish with a Cop. It's from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon at Blue Lime Park In Delaware Ohio. There will be free fishing poles, bait, and other fishing gear, along with other free stuff. Ohio Department of Natural Resources will be there to teach fishing. Then the children will get to fish with policemen and maybe a few firemen. My daddy will be one of the policemen. I am so proud. It will be a great time for all, and Lucy and I are looking forward to all the pets and hugs. I hope we will see you there!

My sister Lucy and I were in invited to the Chalmers P Wylie VA Ambulatory Care Center open house. What a fantastic time we had and we met a lot of new friends. Daddy told me this Center is for all the people who were in the military; he called them veterans. After Daddy told me what a person did to become a veteran and what they gave up in their life, I think they should be called HEROES.

At this open house Lucy, Mommy, Daddy and I attended as part of the new therapy dog program for the Chalmers P Wylie VA Ambulatory Care Center. There are six teams of therapy dogs that make up our squad. We visit through the week and on weekends to make all the heroes and doctors, nurses and staff feel welcome and loved. Let me tell you, they gave us a lot of love.

I've got a secret to share with you. It was Lucy's first time as an International Therapy Dog. She did great, but Mommy looked whipped after 2 hours with Lucy. When they were trying to take our picture Lucy kept putting her butt to the camera. She sometimes is so funny and everyone, including Mommy, was laughing so hard. Daddy finally had to scoot her around so she was facing the camera.

Now for me. I went everywhere on the first floor and met so many people. Of course, everyone wanted to have their picture taken with me. Then Daddy took me to the second floor to visit more people. We took the box that goes up and down; daddy calls this an elevator and I did great. When we reached the second floor, I took one step out of the elevator, my legs went four different directions and I landed on my belly. Me, handsome and cool, looking like a clumsy Newfoundland rug. I tried to get up, but I kept sliding everywhere. Daddy finally pushed some button and that box opened and Daddy pushed me in. Once I was inside the elevator I got up and looked cool again. The rest of the day we stayed on the ground floor. Daddy told me people can say "HI" to me going up and "Bye" to me coming down.

Lucy and I will be at the VA Center every week for the next 6 months so if you're one of those heroes, look for us. If you live in the Sunbury area, every Thursday in June and the first Thursday in July Lucy and I are learning to be good listeners. We have been asked by the Sunbury Community Library to let people read to us. We will be there in the library from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM. Please go sign up and we will listen to you read us good books.

Hi friends. I hope you had as much fun this week as I did. I got to visit Trinity United Methodist Church's TUMPS Preschool in Marble Cliff, Ohio. I was greeted by many neat little humans and some fun human adults. My mommy read two of my favorite books and told all the young humans about me and my furry kin. I made many friends that day and they asked me to come back next year during school. Thank you TUMPS for being so nice.

Then Daddy and Mommy got shots and all kinds of paperwork and became volunteers in the beta Veterans Therapy Dog Program at the local VA. My daddy was a Marine, so Lucy and I are going to entertain and make new friends at the VA Open House May 6. Please, if you are a Veteran or know a Veteran tell them about the open house at the VA May 5 and May 6. Come to the VA and say Hi to me and Lucy.

Now for the big news. DRUM ROLL PLEASE!

I have been telling you about my little sister Lucy. This is a picture of her when she was 3 months old, hiding behind daddy's boots.

I'm so proud of my little sister. She received her Advanced Canine Good Citizen ribbon last night. This is the sister that still pulls my ears and pulls on my legs--the same one who jumped on top of me just before she left to take her tests. She said she was a good girl. Nobody asked me for my opinion.

Here is Lucy being sweet and Daddy talking to her just before she took her test to be a licensed Therapy Dog International and Advanced Canine Good Citizen.

Poor daddy looks worn out, but Lucy is now a licensed therapy dog and has one more ribbon than me. The bib says it all, yet I am so proud of my little sister.

These are my new friends from Chapter #304 of Therapy Dogs International, Inc. We were asked by this really nice lady at Ohio Wesleyan to come to Hamilton-Williams Campus Center and help the young students relieve their stress from classes and homework. We all did a great job; the students told us so with hugs , kisses and great petting.

The students texted all their friends and within minutes the place was packed with so many dog lovers. They came from everywhere. You could say it was raining young as well as older humans. That sounds better than saying raining cats and dogs. Look closely. There are dogs among all those humans.

These young folks were so nice and friendly and they smelled like many different breeds of dogs.

The young man in the grey sweatshirt was really fun and I think he missed his furry friends at home. When there were only a few people around I got to show him how to wrestle and play. He was such fun and he is my friend.

Thank you to all the young students and staff from Ohio Wesleyan for being so nice to all of us from TDI. You guys ROCK!

My job is so tough. Every morning before the show when the vendors came in to set up they would all come over and say Hi to me. Two nice ladies from Israel and a young man from Germany visited me and gave me big hugs. They missed their furry loved ones at home so I gave them kisses to make them feel better. At these shows I get to play with my friends and meet many wonderful people. This is me with my friend Amanda from Logan Heat and Air. She is so sweet and has a cute pup at home, I love Amanda.

So many humans came out to see me on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. We had a great time. People shared many pictures of their furry families and I got a lot of smooching. Many people got on the floor and played with me, petted me and gave me big hugs.

This little person and her mommy came over to say Hi and meet me and my mommy. They were so nice.

I get to kick back this week and enjoy my days off with my sister. My sister, Lucy, graduated from her TDI (Therapy Dog International) class last Monday and in three weeks she takes her Advance Canine Good Citizen test and her Therapy dog test to get her TDI license. My sister is so sweet and I am so proud of her. Yet, we can keep that a secret that she is so special to me; you know she is my pest of a little sister.

April 19th I will be on the Campus of Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware Ohio. Like my little sister, the students are studying for their yearly finals so they can go home to their furry families and play with them for the summer. Daddy said they sometimes get stressed out and need doggie love to get them through. That is my cue: Einstein with Doggie Love anytime, any place.

Today Daddy and I played and wrestled all afternoon. You know how big my daddy is and I beat him. I pinned him in 2 minutes flat. Then my little sister jumped on him and we had so much fun. Right now my little sister and I are resting up for an exciting day tomorrow. Daddy said there is going to be up to 5 inches of snow. I love snow.

Last night Mommy and Lucy had fun at the Mall. I first thought it was just a girls' day at the mall, but later Daddy told me it was Lucy's Therapy Class.

Look at all those dogs with their humans. So many butts to sniff and so little time. If you look closely you can see my little sister and our proud Mommy. What a pair. My sister in blue bows and my mommy in a blue shirt.

The pretty human is our Mommy and the one with the bows in her hair is my little sister Lucy. Don't worry I teased Lucy about those bows when she got home.

My little sister rocks. She passed her Canine Good Citizen's test and she is now in her 5th week of Therapy Dog International class. Last Saturday she appeared at the Pet Expo in Columbus Ohio. Many of my friends came to the Pet Expo and said Hi to Lucy. I could not go because I was taking a long desired nap. Do not get me wrong, I may be proud of Lucy, but little sisters can be a pain in the rear and a menace at times, especially when she is tugging on my ear, but I love her and she makes me so proud of her. YOU GO LUCY. This week Lucy will be at the Polaris Fashion Mall on Monday at 6:00 PM.

Now for me, I have had a few weeks off and I must be doing something right for my Mommy just said, "Look how dirty you are?" I am not really sure if that was a comment or a question. I think Daddy said I have several appearances coming up in April. You see, there is this really neat preschool at Trinity Untied Methodist Church in Marble Cliff. I am meeting with the Directors of TUMPS to see if we can make a program for me to meet with the 90 children and for Mommy and Daddy to read to them. Also the children will get to read to me. TUMPS would like me to stop by once a month in the new school year and I think that would really be fun.

Please come and see me for I am being featured once again with my good friend Maggie (Daddy's and Mommy's Robot) in the AUTMOW BOOTH at the Home Show on the Ohio State Fairgrounds April 6, 7 and 8. I had so much fun making people happy at the Home and Garden Show I wanted to do it again. Stop by and say Hi when you are there.